


Family

by 1_1SnailXD



Series: Oneshot Wonders [7]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Día de los Muertos | Day of the Dead, Family, Family Reunion, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mild panic, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 18:54:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21020597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1_1SnailXD/pseuds/1_1SnailXD
Summary: Roman asks Virgil to attend the Day of the Dead celebrations with his family. The event proves too much for Virgil as he is crushed by the fact that his own family abandoned him. Or did they?





	Family

**Author's Note:**

> Writing request for a fic centred around the Day of the Dead celebrations by @thequeensphinx. Thanks for all your help throughout the writing process. It was a fun one to research.

Roman stuck his tongue out slightly as he swooped a fine brush over Virgil’s face, crafting a masterpiece of white, black and purple. The sugar skull design was a mirror of the red version he had done on his own face; though Roman felt Virgil’s version was looking much better than his own.

“Are you sure it’s okay I join you for this?” Virgil asked quietly, glancing at the mirror as Roman reloaded his brush. “Isn’t the day of the dead just for family members?”

“Don’t be silly,” Roman laughed in reply, “ Día de los Muertos is for celebrating life; of course you are welcome. Besides, as far as I am concerned, you are a part of my family.”

A small smile pulled at Virgil’s cheeks and Roman took the opportunity to paint his lips with a glittery gloss. The coating of makeup and face paint made Virgil feel every move his face made; particularly the drop-in expression after Roman moved away to let Virgil change. Slipping on the custom outfit Roman had made him specifically for the day; a subtle cross between a suit and dress of his own design. Looking in the mirror, Virgil took in the swirls of colour that peaked through the dark, lace covered design; twisting his hips to watch the fabric shift and colours change visibility.

“Now that is a look worth dropping dead for,” Roman mused as he re-entered the room in his own ruby, white and gold design.

“Not too bad yourself, Princey.”

“Why thank you.” With a bow, Roman reached out and took Virgil’s hand in his own. “Now, shall we go? Don’t want to keep my brother waiting.”

Virgil allowed Roman to lead him downstairs where Roman’s parents gushed over their face paint and outfits. Without the white paint, Virgil was sure his cheeks would have been glowing ruby red from all the attention. As much as he appreciated his foster parents over the years, they never paid him much attention and he wasn’t the sort to deliberately seek it. When the shower of praise was over, the family loaded into the car to begin the journey to the cemetery.

While Roman spent the drive belting out show tunes with his parents, Virgil rode in silence. It still felt wrong to be encroaching on someone else’s family holiday. He had never been one for holidays, tolerating every holiday and only feeling excitement for Halloween; the one time he was glad to have a friend as extra as Roman around. This year Roman was adamant that he wanted Virgil to join him for the Day of the Dead celebrations, claiming he was the first person he had ever wanted to introduce his family too. It was flattering to say the least, though he still didn’t feel worthy of such an honour.

Parking the car, the group made their way towards the cemetery; the surrounding area changing from bland suburbia to a vibrant, cacophony of colours. Stages were set with musicians already filling the air with a beat that touched Virgil’s very soul, while food stalls had the groups mouths watering. A group of adults bundled around a stall called to Roman’s parents who encouraged the boys to go on ahead.

“Come on, Virge. I can’t wait for you to meet Remus.”

Taking his friends hand, Roman pulled Virgil through the sea of people until they were walking along the less crowded paths of the cemetery. They passed a mix of gravestones of peal whites and ashen grey, though Virgil’s eyes were drawn to those awash with colour from marigold petals, candles and offerings.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Roman smirked, giving his friends hand a squeeze. “Much more visually appealing than a simple bouquet of flowers.”

“I can’t argue with that. So where is your family?”

“Well,” Roman pointed ahead of the path they turned down, “Remus is just ahead, but my Mama Val and Papa Coco are resting in Mexico. We go and see them every few years, but I prefer to visit Remus; even if the food is better over there.”

“I can understand that, though good food is hard to turn down.”

Roman laughed and quickened his pace as they stepped carefully down a row of gravestones to find Remus’s; the setting sun beginning to highlight the sky with oranges that reflected the marigolds Roman immediately began raining over the site. Virgil couldn’t help but smile while Roman hummed to himself as he set up candles and incense around the grave’s boarder.

“What’s that?” Virgil asked as a platter of food was produced from the basket.

“Well, this is  Pan de  muerto , or dead bread.” He held up the golden loaf crusted with sugar and a cross design on top; arranging a few rounds on the forming ofrenda before breaking the final one in half to offer Virgil. “It’s a sweet bread that’s just to die for. I made it with Ma this morning. Try some.”

“Is that okay?” Virgil eyed the bread cautiously, nerves building in his stomach.

“Of course. Remus won’t mind.”

Waiting for Roman to place a piece in his mouth, Virgil accepted his own and took a bite of the sweet offering. The breads aroma mixed with the flavours that danced in Virgil’s mouth;  aniseed providing a liquorice flavour mixed with a hint of orange and brought together by the sweet sugar. Eyes closing, he sighed at the amazing blend of flavours; leaving Roman laughing as he finished arranging items around the ofrenda.

“I told you it was to die for.”

“Okay, okay. It was good; I’ll give you that.”

Kneeling beside his friend, Virgil got a clear view of their twin. The seven-year-old pictured may have been younger than the teen beside him, but Virgil could clearly see their similarities; a broad smile and extravagant expression. Shame crept into his stomach as Roman took out a green skull and octopus plush to place either side of the photo; suddenly realising how little he knew of an event that was clearly so important to his friend. Sensing their sensitivity, Roman nudged Virgil’s shoulder and smiled.

“These are some of Remus’s favourite things. He would go wild on sugar skulls and Ma and Pa wouldn’t let him eat them; but I always snuck him a small piece of mine.” He gestured to the plushie and smiled fondly. “And this a tribute to his favourite toy, Sucker.”

“Sucker?” Virgil raised an eyebrow and looked at the lopsided octopus.

“Yeah. Remus took him everywhere. This is just an offering though; the real Sucker…” tears glistened in Roman’s eyes briefly and he quickly blinked to clear them. “Well… I’m sure he made his way to the ocean to be a real octopus.”

Wrapping an arm around the other, Virgil rested his head on his shoulder and allowed himself to relax and process all the information currently loading his senses. Roman gladly accepted the closeness and smiled at the image of his twin.

The pairs tranquillity ended when Roman’s parents arrived, and Virgil stepped back to watch the family share a moment to remember their lost son. Looking around the cemetery, more families gathered around candle lit graves as the sun slowly sunk below the horizon. The more he looked at each gathered group, the more Virgil longed to know his own family; but he was nothing but a name. A name on the bracelet of a baby abandoned in a park and passed from frosted family to foster family.

“Hey,” Roman’s face filled Virgil’s vision and he was pulled away from his lost thoughts. “Let’s go to where the real action is. We can come back and sit with Remus later.”

With a nod the pair headed out of the cemetery together and Virgil braced himself for the mass of light, colour and sound that awaited him outside of the cemetery.

Roman was practically vibrating as he guided Virgil around the area; pointing out every feature and their meaning. Painted faces walked by, papel picado fluttered in the breeze and the air was filled aromas that Roman chased down for Virgil to try. 

The longer the celebrations went on, the more excited Roman seemed to become, and the worse Virgil felt. Breathing became harder as he found his ability to process the bombardment of sensory information failing. So many sounds; too many smells; faces blending together and Roman blended into the crushing crowd.

Virgil didn’t hear Roman say his name or see him looking at him with questioning concern. Chest heaving, he pushed his way through the crowd to find an escape. Oranges petals were crushed under his feet as he ran through the cemetery; candle lit graves and the flash of lightning from a distant dry storm lighting his way until he collapsed to his knees at a group of graves sitting in darkness.

Wrapping his arms around his middle and bowing his head low, Virgil cried. He cried for leaving his friend; for not being able to express the same excitement for such a beautiful event; but mostly he cried for the family he didn’t know.

Roman didn’t speak when he found Virgil; kneeling beside him and gently rubbing his back as he sobbed. The wind guided marigold petals up the dark path, and they swirled towards the huddled boys as Virgil slowly sat up; paint streaked down his face.

“You shouldn’t be here.” He sniffed, resisting the urge to wipe his face. “You’re meant to be celebrating with your family.”

“But you are my family, Virgil.”

“No” Virgil shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. “I don’t have a family. I’m nothing but a generic name given to a baby no one wanted.”

“Virgil Smith, look at me.” Eyes peaked open and Roman gently rested a hand under his chin. “You are more than that to me. You have been a part of my family since the day you came to this place and spoke to me. You were the first person in a long time to talk to me like a person, not a porcelain doll that would break at the mention of death. Like it or not, you are family to me.”

A fresh wave of tears fell from Virgil’s eyes for a different reason and he pulled Roman into a tight embrace. The marigold petals were illuminated as a flash of lightning filled the sky and bathed the pair in a brief orange glow.

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

A high-pitched giggle had the pair separating and looking around in confusion, Roman’s throat tightening at the familiarity of the sound.

“RoRo’s got a boyfriend!”

Roman’s head whipped around so fast he almost gave himself whiplash; eyes widening as he saw the small boy that had spoken. Their hair was a birds nest of curls, face pale and decorated with unnaturally vibrant greens and black, but it was the clothes that had Roman’s blood running cold. The pants patched together from frequent tearing and a slime green round neck t-shirt of a kraken wrapped around a ship. They were Remus’s favourite clothes.

“Remus?” He breathed, still in shock as his tiny twin just laughed.

“You got old, Princey. I think I can see a grey hair.”

“Hey” Remus pulled playfully at his hair and Roman pulled him in for a hug. “I’m still better looking than you, Sir Skeleton.”

“Ew! Hugs!” Remus screeched before laughing as he desperately wiggled out of Roman’s arms. “Gross, and I’m a Duke remember. Now I’m the Duke of Death.”

Virgil watched in confusion as the twins laughed and began poking each other as they exchanged further nicknames. Roman was literally playing with his dead twin like it was just a normal Friday night. Looking around, Virgil found the cemetery looked very different to before. The marigold petals glowed like paper lights, and the people kneeling by the graves also had a soft orange hue. He looked at his own hands, as normal as before. Not even Remus had the orange light, so that destroyed Virgil’s thought that they could suddenly see the dead; so that left…

“Roman, are we dead?”

The look of fear that crossed Roman’s face as he turned around had Virgil’s breath catching in his throat and made Remus’s laughter even more shocking.

“Don’t be silly, dummy. You just switched sides. Now let’s go play before Ma and Pa find us.”

“Wait. Hold on a second.” Roman demanded as Remus pulled eagerly at his arm; pouting when Roman pulled away. “What do you mean? How did this happen?”

“Don’t be such a party pooper, Roman. Let’s just have some fun before you have to go back. Boyfriend can come too.”

“What? No.” Virgil stuttered as he stood with Roman.

“Virgil isn’t my boyfriend.”

“Okay, bring the not-friend too and let’s have some fun.”

The boys couldn’t ask any more questions as Remus started running down the path and they jogged to catch up. An archway of marigolds glowed at the top of the path and Remus jumped straight through with a whoop of joy. Not wanting to risk losing each other, Roman and Virgil locked hands and ran through with a rush of wind.

Feet met open air on the other side and they audibly screamed as they plunged into a mountain of glowing petals.

“Woo!” Remus burst out of the mound, throwing an armful of petals into the air as he did. “Let’s do that again. “

“Let’s not!” Virgil snapped, pulling Roman up as he stood.

“A little warning would have been nice, Dukey.”

“Aww, but where’s the fun in that? Come on, let’s go sliding.”

Stumbling out of the pile of petals, Virgil managed a smile as he looked at the petals sticking out of Roman’s hair.

“What?” He gave a nervous laugh and rubbed his arm self-consciously.

“Nothing, just…the flowers suit you.”

“Well they suit you too, emo king.”

“HEY!” Remus yelled as he saw the two laughing at each other instead of following him. “Let’s go! Play with buddy-friend later! Sliding now!”

A grin stretched across Remus’s face as the others ran towards him, and he turned to jump off what appeared to be a cliff edge. Virgil closed his eyes as he followed, only opening them when he felt the soft surface moving below him. The scene before his eyes was breath taking; a perfect balance of vibrant colours framed by blacks that built a city that was a mix of fiction and reality. Looking towards Roman, he laughed as he looked like his face would split if he smiled any wider.

“It’s just as I imagined it to be.” He turned to face Virgil as a tear slipped from his eye. “Isn’t it beautiful, Vee?”

“Absolutely.” It was unlike anything Virgil could have imagined on his own, and something he was sure to never forget.

Their ride came to a surprisingly calm end as the petals levelled out and stopped by a crystal-clear lake boarded by vibrant green grass that Remus immediately started rolling in. Roman chuckled and let go of Virgil’s hand to join his twin; playing a game that clearly only the two of them knew. Watching the two, Virgil could almost imagine a younger Roman rolling with his twin in a park without a care in the world.

Slowly, some onlookers slid down the marigold slide and Virgil shifted away as Roman and Remus greeted them with familial terms. Sadness crept back into Virgil’s stomach as he watched the family embrace and laugh. He continued to step away until his back met a tree with a few veins of rainbow snaking from the ground to its multicoloured leaves. Breathing deeply, he kept the tears at bay while he watched the reunion from afar.

“Virgil?”

“Wha- who are you?”

Virgil stammered to the old man that had snuck up beside him. Their skeletal face was decorated with highlights of yellow and black, and despite having never seen the man before, he felt vaguely familiar to Virgil.

“Diego Forero. I knew your parents.”

“You…you knew…my parents?”

The man sensed Virgil’s shock and his fears were confirmed.

“You don’t know me, do you?”

“Do you really know my parents? How do you know them? What happened? Are they here?”

“Woah, easy there.” Diego held up his hands as Virgil crept increasingly closer with each question, desperate to find answers.

“S-sorry.” Taking a step back, Virgil took a deep breath to calm himself. “It’s just…I don’t know anything about my parents.”

“No, I'm sorry.” The old man sighed and lent heavily against the tree. “I should have been more careful.”

“What do you mean?” Roman carefully stepped up behind Virgil and stood close as he asked the question he’d always wanted answered. “What happened to my parents?”

Diego took a deep breath, eyes locked on the ground as he spoke the words Virgil had waited years to hear.

_Pat and Logan had been together since they were 15. Everyone knew they were a couple, and no one questioned it. When Pat came out as non-binary, they became even closer; despite Pat’s parents being completely against it and dead naming them every chance they got. It only got worse when they accidentally fell pregnant, but Pat wasn’t going to give up. Their parents wanted the baby to be put up for a closed adoption; no contact, no connection to the family in any way. Of course, Pat was against it but played along with their parents to keep safe; even pretending to end things with Logan. I knew Logan’s family; they helped get me out of some sticky situations in the past, and I was more than happy to help when Logan approached me._

_As your due date approached, Pat ran away with Logan and I helped them hide out for a while. We got a midwife in to help deliver you safely and submitted your birth certificate under Logan’s family name. Unfortunately, they were still underage, and Pat was afraid of what their father would do if they brought you home. We decided I would care for you until they both graduated and could safely get away, but I made a mistake. I used Logan’s name to do everything for you; there was no paperwork to suggest I had a child in my care._

_One day I took you to the park and we sat under a tree when I felt lightheaded. I think I got up and went to get some water but ended up walking around the park until I eventually collapsed. I never woke up._

“So, my parents didn’t abandon me?” Virgil’s voice cracked as he became overwhelmed by the idea that his family hadn’t left him.

“No, Virgil. They loved you, and I’m sure they did what they could to find you. Perhaps if I hadn’t travelled as much and communicated more, this never would have hap-”

Diego’s words were cut off as Virgil threw his arms around his middle and thanked him repeatedly.

“Your not-friend is a real cry baby.” Roman playfully shoved Remus’s shoulder and he toppled to the ground. ”hey! Don’t push, poop-face!”

“Don’t be so rude, air head.”

“That will do boys” an elderly woman interjected, helping Remus up before holding his shoulder in a firm but caring grip. “It’s time for these two to go.”

“Aww, but Mama-”

“No buts, Roman. It’s time to go back.”

Virgil stepped back from Diego and gave a half smile that had the old man beaming at the familiarity. Marigold petals began blowing toward the group and they knew it was time to go back; Diego turned to leave the group behind.

“Wait,” Virgil called, quickly realising these was something he’d forgotten to ask. “What were their names? My parents?”

Roman took hold of Virgil’s hand as the petals started swirling around them.

“Pat Hill and Logan Sanders.”

Remus’s shrill laugh was the last thing they heard as the petals glowed so bright the pair had to squeeze their eyes shut in response.

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

As Virgil blinked his eyes open, he realised he was laying atop a thin layer of petals on the hard ground. Sitting up he squinted to read the gravestone in-front of him.

“Diego Forero.” Roman grunted as he straightened behind his friend. “How lucky was it that you found his grave of all people.”

“Roman?” Turning, Virgil faced his friend with a face of confusion. “Was that real? Did that really just happen?”

“Only one way to find out, not-friend.”

Roman held out his phone, the screen unlocked and already sitting on a search page. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Virgil searched the names Diego gave him and hoped it was more than a dream.

* * *

“Are you ready for this?” Roman asked, giving his thick-shake a stir with a metal straw and watching his friends face carefully.

“14 years is a long time, Ro. What if they don’t even want me anymore? What if I’m not what they expected me to be? What if-“ Cream from the top of his iced coffee was suddenly on his nose as Roman lifted the glass into his face.

“Chill out, Virge. They are gonna love you.” He smiled and offered his mildly offended friend a napkin to clean his face. “And if not, you’ve always got me. Not-friends for life.”

Though Virgil laughed, his face immediately dropped as the bell for the door of the diner sounded and he looked to see who had entered.

A slim figure in a black polo shirt, navy tie and glasses held the door open as a slightly shorter figure stepped in. They had a soft blue button up shirt, round, wired glasses and grey slacks. Virgil knew who they were immediately and stepped out from the booth just as they spotted him.

Pat’s eyes were brimming with tears as they approached, spilling over when Virgil didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around them. Though more composed, Roman saw just as much emotion in Logan’s eyes as he pulled the other two close.

Roman knew  Día de los Muertos was for celebrating life and bringing families together, but that year had been something different. Not only had he seen his twin again, but he had the privilege of watching a family come back together after years apart. Regardless of whether Virgil stayed a Smith or took the Sanders name, Roman saw him as family. A not-friend that he would bring to the cemetery again next year to visit Remus and help make an ofrenda for Diego. The friend he hoped to keep for life and see again in death. Virgil was part of Roman’s familia, and Pat and Logan were soon to be too. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, and I really hope you enjoyed it.  
Feel free to pass on any feedback you have (as long as it is constructive). 
> 
> Also, I’m on Tumblr.
> 
> I have a page for my art - [**@1-1snailxd-art**](https://1-1snailxd-art.tumblr.com/) 🐌
> 
> And one just for fun - [**@snail-giggles**](https://snail-giggles.tumblr.com/) 💜
> 
> Feel free to check either of them out if you want.


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